Not very with context. My FTP and ZRS have both tanked, I entered to add some numbers to a race series for the club, and they were both very small fields. Both basically 1v1 match races for basically the whole race.
It is the same effect as the other rider using a red jersey or having a black time trial helmet, yes. (or a squirrel in their pocket)
So people could give other teams a bad name by just changing their name and wearing their kits ?
Edit:
Add to that that Zwift allow duplicate names, I could make every one of you here look bad by just changing my ingame name into yours ā¦
Probably also why they dont allow namecalling, so I guess they wont allow naming teams also.
2 Likes
If they were doing that, surely that horse has bolted as they are in the act of giving them a bad name to start with?
The highlighting actually in this case goes towards fixing that specific issue you are trying to balance\both sides..
Same answer as above
Blue jersey, time trial helmet, dead horse. (a short summation)
1 Like
Aero socks too?
1 Like
Could be. But also a lot of teams wont be bothered anyway. I doubt many teams will kick out their elite riders for this. And we have seen them all. From E tot A+ riders. Checkmark riders, pro riders even saw a Zwift marked rider going down once.
And just saw a screenshot sended to me that someone was over 1500km in a ride. Have to admire such dedication.
But was it a level 5 BMX 
1 Like
Those donāt make you faster, so no, the effect is different. The effect in one case (the upgraded bike) is a person can end up lower on the podium, or KOM, or sprint for the same power (assuming height/weight are the same) if the other person is not on an upgraded bike. The squirrel hat does not help speed people up, so that will not have a similar effect on the KOM, sprint, or race.
Changing your FTP shouldnāt make a big difference on the calorie burn calculation in Zwift. It would make a difference if they used TSS though.
The calories burned will be mainly a function of power over time regardless of FTP. If someone fit does 200W for an hour they will burn a certain amount of energy. If someone unfit does 200W for an hour they will burn a similar amount of energy if you assume the same āefficiencyā which I imagine Zwift does.
In reality a pro cyclist will be more efficient at the same power (less bobbing/swaying, better form, their body has to be cooled down a bit less, etc) so burns a bit less at the same power, but my guess is if you put your FTP down to 0 in Zwift, or move it to 500 you wonāt see a big change in your kcal output for the same power.
Edit: If what they do come up with is adjusted for weight then of course people could weight dope as they do today unfortunately - just set weight super low and do amazing w/kg.
Good question - Aero socks would require a seriously massive amount of riding to have unlocked.
Not yet. I think I was at level 2 the first race and level 3 the second one, got to level 4 yesterdayā¦
Though the BMX is an āentry levelā bike, so all the performance increase is in the first three upgrades, 4 & 5 are drops and XP.
1 Like
Is that the full version of the factory challenge to get the aero socks? 850 power units. Only 810 to go for me!
1 Like
Well Iām planning on grinding my way there. Motivation for the next few winters!
3 Likes
They probably used the script hack to upgrade everything immediately.
To the person earlier who questioned if these hacks are not cheating, I ask him if he thinks that is not cheating as well?
Oh thatās just standard procedure. Protect the sacred racing but everything else can be a wild west of hacks and cheating. You are absolutely right about this affecting all riding.
Looking at the maths again as a little follow up.
The gap @ 300w between the stock Buffalo and fully upgraded SL8: 
37 watts.
Now, someone please again tell me how nearly 40 watts only matters during a race, and not at all on a specific category group rideā¦ as apparently thereās not a snowy chance on Franceās cobbles that 40 watts means you couldnāt possibly get dropped.
For the record, this is about the difference again, prior to the aero upgrades, to riding a gravel bike on a group rideā¦ if you never did itā¦ well, now you know.
And a final reminder this doesnāt even include the additions of wheels; which I suspect could easily be another 10 watts easily between the Classic and deep Enves / Discs. So worth bearing that in mind as well. (Again, reminder that rides that force users onto a specific road bike, [while rare] and were previously on the Concept bike, are forced onto Classics)
So, yeah.
Would continue to love the argument about how nearly 50 watts difference doesnāt affect anything outside of racing.
Iām not sure that comparison is super useful because anyone who cares about racing or KOMs will expect the buffalo bike to be slower.
The difference youād probably want to compare is a stock SL8 to an upgraded SL8, or an upgraded tron etc. Ones folks will likely be racing with.
Itās more of just an open ended point Iām trying to make as an āacross the boardā situation.
You have to consider folks that are still low level, and canāt even begin to think about bike upgrades. THIS is why itās such a big deal; because the folks putting in time (or cheating it, doesnāt really matter), might be joining something like group rides and despite hitting the numbersā¦ can potentially be dropped.
Weāre talking, if you had a friend make a new account, and they got stuck with the Zwift Aero frame, and they wanted to ride with you, but both riders are equal in power, and you rode say a fully upgraded SL8ā¦ Theyāll be forced to draft you the entire time, or produce 40+ more watts to ride wheel to wheel.
A new rider, essentially canāt even compete in racing because of the gap now.
Consider the number of Cat D racers who do ride a lot but just donāt increase in fitness.
It almost breaks the whole upgrade system of ZRS, because the power gap is so significant; people will be upgrading because of the bikes, not because of fitness (this may be extreme, BUT it is a possibility).
Your difference as mentioned earlier in the thread is still the gap between a stock and fully upgraded SL8 is still hovering near 15w.
Yeah, totally get that, then the difference to compare is the intro Zwift bike vs. a fully upgraded SL8 or tron etc.
Personally I would prefer if the upgrades did not affect performanceā¦ Iād prefer if they were cosmetic (Colors, stances, post-up animations, idle animation, accessories, badges etc.) though Iāve mentioned that before.
1 Like
Just closed everything but I think itās kind of that same realm of 10-15 watts or thereabouts.
Honestly Iām just more shocked at how slow the non-aero bikes have become, itās pretty dramatic! (and why I regret even starting to upgrade the Safety frame, and thatās when I realized how sluggish it felt when I did a 100k on it the week of this update LOL. It literally did feel as bad as the day I did the same ride on a gravel bike)
The thought process of folks getting upgraded in ZRS Cat for an upgraded bike though is kind of funny to consider as well.
Really justā¦ open ended thoughts here; not directed anywhere.